The Barbados Association of Retired Persons (BARP) is gearing up to host its Towards 2050 conference, aimed at equipping individuals aged 40 to 59 with the tools and knowledge necessary to navigate the challenges of the future.
Speaking during a press event to launch the conference, being held at the Hilton Barbados on April 6, President Marilyn Rice Bowen said the event was also seeking to address the gaps revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in technology adoption.
“We recognize that during COVID, quite a few persons were not prepared, were quite afraid of the technology, even though the computer was here for at least 30, 35 years,” she said.
“People couldn’t conduct online transactions, they were afraid of the ATM, and so they were sort of stuck in a mold. We cannot let those persons between the ages of 40 and 59 be faced with a similar situation in 2050 because we will not be here to guide them. So, that is why it is so important that we are here to help. Now, our research has revealed that by the year 2050, half of the Barbadian population will be over 65. As a matter of fact, in addition to that, the UN projects that the Barbadian population is estimated to decrease to 277,000.
“Now, that is a situation that, you know, if you’re not prepared, you could feel sort of intimidated. But what we are looking at is in 2050, what would the workplace look like? Would we have older and more experienced persons still in the workplace? Will we have robots in the workplace? Will we have in the workplace persons who are differently abled? Because it might be a situation where you might be using a cane or a walker. What would the corporate spaces look like in 2050,” Rice Bowen noted.
Meanwhile, Minister of Elder Affairs and People Empowerment Kirk Humphrey has warned of the broader societal implications of an aging population. He has warned of potential challenges, including demographic shifts and changes in economic structures.
According to the Minister, proactive planning and collaboration is necessary to mitigate these challenges.
“This aging thing is going to creep up on the country. And we’re going to wake up one morning to find that we do not have enough people that are able to finance the economy, period. We do not even have enough young people to support the older people in terms of taking care of them. You will find that your largest market is over 50, those in the business community, but they continue to market toward people who are 20. It’s like the world is in transition and nobody’s noticing. And eventually, they say by 2086, the world’s population is going to peak because we’re not having [children]… And this is not just Barbados, this is all over the world.
“…We’re going to have to rethink our business models. And yet it feels to me as if we’re going to wake up and be completely surprised by something that all of us should see coming. That is why I keep talking about this transition. The last census told us that one in four Barbadians right now is over 60. One in four. That is 25 per cent of Barbados is over 60. One in five is over 65. That’s 20 per cent of Barbados is over 65. And the average Barbadian is in the mid-40s,” Humphrey said.
